Nintendo President Teases Switch Accessories and VR

In an interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima teases future accessories for the upcoming Nintendo Switch, including virtual reality.

The Nintendo Switch reveal trailer pitched an exciting concept that left Nintendo fans hungry to learn more. Unfortunately, the Big N has stated that there will be no more Nintendo Switch news until January 12th, 2017, when the company plans on hosting a special event to detail Switch’s games, release date, and price. January 12th is still a few months away, but Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima is already getting the hype train rolling, teasing add-ons and accessories for the console.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Kimishima explained that while fans are seeing the core Nintendo Switch product in the reveal trailer, it doesn’t represent all of the products that will be available for the console. The Switch will have additional devices, called both “add-on hardware” and “accessories” by Kimishima, though no further details on what this hardware will entail are available at this time.

However, some past Nintendo patents may offer clues as to what the Switch accessories could be. It’s possible that Nintendo will sell multiple versions of the Joy-Con controllers, for example, that can be specially designed for specific games. This way developers wouldn’t be limited by how Nintendo designed the Switch’s controllers, and could come up with a controller scheme all their own that could make their games easier to play.

Another possibility for Switch add-on hardware can be found in the burgeoning market of virtual reality. Nintendo has interest in virtual reality, as it has stated in the past, and Kimishima also hinted that Nintendo has a VR future in the interview with Bloomberg. Kimishima said the “opportunity is available” for Nintendo to pursue VR games, and he went on to say, “It may be that we will build VR software titles.” Whether or not that means Nintendo has its own VR headset in the works or if the Switch will be compatible with existing virtual reality hardware remains to be seen.

Perhaps Nintendo will elaborate on its plans for virtual reality during the Nintendo Switch special event on January 12th. If not, fans should at least be able to expect Nintendo to unveil the company’s plans for the other Switch accessories Kimishima hinted at in the interview.

Fans already know that they haven’t seen everything yet when it comes to Nintendo Switch, but January 12th, 2017 is shaping up to be the day Nintendo tells all about the device. On that day, fans will learn the system’s release date, price, and its launch lineup of games, and if Kimishima’s comments are any indication, they will also get a peek at some add-on hardware for the Switch.